LOS ANGELES, Jan. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In its continued support of its sports partnership with the LA Galaxy, Herbalife Nutrition today announced the expansion of its Sports Performance and Fitness department overseeing the teams nutritional program ahead of the 2018 MLS season.

"Professional endurance athletes, like soccer players, have specific nutrition and hydration needs that enable them to perform at the highest level of their sport on an ongoing basis," said Dr. John Agwunobi, MD, MPH, MBA, Chief Health and Nutrition Officer at Herbalife Nutrition. "Our Sports Performance experts know that LA Galaxy players endure rigorous travel schedules and long practice sessions, so they work closely with the team to design a targeted sports nutrition and hydration program that helps them achieve peak performance on game day."

Joining the team are registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) Brooke Ellison and Nicolette Leffler. Both RDNs will focus on enhancing athlete performance, promoting recovery, and developing nutritional literacy for all players. Ellison and Leffler add to the Company's more than 300 scientists and PhDs on staff that work to help consumers, sponsored athletes and teams improve their well-being.

"We are excited to have Brooke and Nicolette working so closely with our athletes," said LA Galaxy President Chris Klein. "Our partnership with Herbalife Nutrition continues to provide our team with an important foundation of nutrition for our players to train and compete head-to-head with the world's top athletes. Brooke and Nicolette will be great additions to the team providing detailed, personal programs to benefit each player."

Prior to Herbalife Nutrition, Ellison worked for two seasons alongside the LA Galaxy's sports nutrition team. She holds a Master of Nutritional Sciences from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) and a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of New Mexico. In her new role as sports performance dietitian, Ellison will ensure players perform optimally, implementing nutrition programs according to the players' training and weight goals, and coordinating with coaches and medical staff.

As the Herbalife Nutrition education coordinator, Leffler will be responsible for implementing and managing nutrition education programs and coordinating the educational course logistics for high-level youth athletes in the Galaxy Academy. She will be drawing on her prior experience at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where she worked with Division 1 collegiate athletes in sports dietetics. She holds a Master of Science degree in Nutritional Science from California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychobiology from UCLA.

About Herbalife Nutrition:Herbalife Nutrition is a global nutrition company whose purpose is to make the world healthier and happier. We have been on a mission for nutrition - changing people's lives with great nutrition products & programs - since 1980. Together with our Herbalife Nutrition independent distributors, we are committed to providing solutions to the worldwide problems of poor nutrition and obesity, an aging population, skyrocketing public healthcare costs and a rise in entrepreneurs of all ages. We offer high-quality, science-backed products, most of which are produced in Company-operated facilities, one-on-one coaching with an Herbalife Nutrition independent distributor, and a supportive community approach that inspires customers to embrace a healthier, more active lifestyle.

Our targeted nutrition, weight management, energy, fitness and personal care products are available exclusively to and through dedicated Herbalife Nutrition distributors in more than 90 countries. Through our corporate social responsibility efforts, Herbalife Nutrition supports the Herbalife Family Foundation (HFF) and our Casa Herbalife programs to help bring good nutrition to children in need. We are also proud to sponsor more than 190 world-class athletes, teams and events around the globe, including Cristiano Ronaldo, the LA Galaxy, and numerous Olympic teams.

Herbalife Nutrition has over 8,000 employees worldwide and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HLF) with net sales of approximately $4.5 billion in 2016. To learn more, visit Herbalife.com or IAmHerbalife.com. Financial information is available on ir.herbalife.com.

About LA GalaxyThe LA Galaxy is an American professional soccer club, based in Los Angeles that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS). It is one of the league's most-decorated clubs, having won the MLS Cup a record five times (2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014) - the MLS Supporters' Shield four times (1998, 2002, 2010, 2011), and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup twice (2001, 2005), and is one of just two MLS teams to win the CONCACAF Champions' Cup (2000).